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| None, then, could bestow incorruption, but He Who had made, none restore the likeness of God, save His Own Image, none quicken, but the Life, none teach, but the Word. And He, to pay our debt of death, must also die for us, and rise again as our first-fruits from the grave. Mortal therefore His Body must be; corruptible, His Body could not be.
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§20.
None, then, could bestow incorruption, but He Who had made, none
restore the likeness of God, save His Own Image, none quicken, but the
Life, none teach, but the Word. And He, to pay our debt of death, must
also die for us, and rise again as our first-fruits from the grave.
Mortal therefore His Body must be; corruptible, His Body could not
be.
We have, then, now stated in part, as far as it
was possible, and as ourselves had been able to understand, the reason
of His bodily appearing; that it
was in the power of none other to turn the corruptible to incorruption,
except the Saviour Himself, that had at the beginning also made all
things out of nought and that none other could create anew the likeness
of God’s image for men, save the Image of the Father; and that
none other could render the mortal immortal, save our Lord Jesus
Christ, Who is the Very Life253
| 253 αὐτοζωή, see c. Gent. 40, 46, and Orat. iv. 2, note
4. | ; and that none other
could teach men of the Father, and destroy the worship of idols, save
the Word, that orders all things and is alone the true Only-begotten
Son of the Father. 2. But since it was necessary also that the debt
owing from all should be paid again: for, as I have already said254
, it was owing that all should die, for which
especial cause, indeed, He came among us: to this intent, after the
proofs of His Godhead from His works, He next offered up His sacrifice
also on behalf of all, yielding His Temple to death in the stead of
all, in order firstly to make men quit and free of their old trespass,
and further to shew Himself more powerful even than death, displaying
His own body incorruptible, as first-fruits of the resurrection of all.
3. And do not be surprised if we frequently255
| 255 e.g. viii. 4; x. 5, &c. ‘It is quite a
peculiarity of Ath. to repeat, and to apologise for doing so,’
(Newman in Orat. ii. 80, note 1). |
repeat the same words on the same subject. For since we are speaking of
the counsel of God, therefore we expound the same sense in more than
one form, lest we should seem to be leaving anything out, and incur the
charge of inadequate treatment: for it is better to submit to the blame
of repetition than to leave out anything that ought to be set down. 4.
The body, then, as sharing the same nature with all, for it was a human
body, though by an unparalleled miracle it was formed of a virgin only,
yet being mortal, was to die also, conformably to its peers. But by
virtue of the union of the Word with it, it was no longer subject to
corruption according to its own nature, but by reason of the Word that
was come to dwell256
| 256 ἐπίβασις, compare ἐπιβαίνειν, 43. 4, &c. | in it it was placed
out of the reach of corruption. 5. And so it was that two marvels came
to pass at once, that the death of all was accomplished in the
Lord’s body, and that death and corruption were wholly done away
by reason of the Word that was united with it. For there was need of
death, and death must needs be suffered on behalf of all, that the debt
owing from all might be paid. 6. Whence, as I said before, the Word,
since it was not possible for Him to die, as He was immortal, took to
Himself a body such as could die, that He might offer it as His own in
the stead of all, and as suffering, through His union257
| 257 ἐπίβασις, compare ἐπιβαίνειν, 43. 4, &c. |
with it, on behalf of all, “Bring258
to
nought Him that had the power of death, that is the devil; and might
deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject
to bondage.”E.C.F. INDEX & SEARCH
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